NEWS RELEASE
January 19, 2022

For Immediate Release

A GREENER FUTURE UNVEILS RESULTS FROM ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION GRANT

• A Greener Future received $59,200 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund

• The grant allowed A Greener Future to rebuild their volunteer program to ensure program operations could continue throughout the pandemic

• Results included an increase in volunteer hours from 303 hours in 2020 to 5,250 hours in 2021

OSHAWA, ON— A Greener Future is grateful to have received a grant of $59,200 over 12 months from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) Resilient Communities Fund to assist organizations that have suffered due to the impacts of COVID-19. 

In 2020, A Greener Future had to cancel all of its volunteer programming due to challenges associated with the pandemic. The funding provided by OTF has been used to rebuild their volunteer program and continue operating despite the restrictions of the pandemic. This improved volunteer program includes virtual opportunities to ensure that A Greener Future’s volunteers can stay safe and continue to make a positive environmental impact across Ontario.

Rochelle Byrne, Executive Director of A Greener Future, says, “The funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation has allowed A Greener Future to improve and expand our volunteer program. We were able to increase our capacity to engage more volunteers through the development of a new volunteer framework, new software, and additional virtual opportunities”.

The new volunteer framework has allowed A Greener Future to expand their volunteer opportunities across Ontario. By implementing resources such as new staff, fundraising plans, the development of a volunteer manual, and the use of volunteer management software, A Greener Future has been able to communicate, organize and complete their mission more effectively while staying safe during these uncertain times. 

“The pandemic has caused many changes, especially when it comes to volunteering. With this grant we were able to bring our volunteers back in a safe way,” says Byrne. Throughout 2021 A Greener Future was able to engage 682 volunteers who put in 5,250 hours of volunteer service. In comparison, 2020 saw 20 volunteers put in approximately 303 hours. The expansion of A Greener Future’s volunteer program in 2021 allowed for the organization’s most impactful year to date, removing over 1.5 million pieces of litter from the shorelines of Lake Ontario. The grant from OTF allowed A Greener Future not only to survive but to thrive during difficult times.

View Our Recognition Video

ABOUT A GREENER FUTURE

Founded in 2014, A Greener Future is a non-profit organization whose mission is to work within local communities to promote environmental protection through organized litter cleanups, educational programs, and events. A Greener Future is committed to creating a clean, healthy environment for future generations. To learn more, visit A Greener Future at www.agreenerfuture.ca and see A Greener Future on Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Rochelle Byrne, Executive Director/Founder
705-791-5358 | rochelle@agreenerfuture.ca

Samantha Brewer, PR Assistant
289-788-6454 | samantha@agreenerfuture.ca